Tag: Mollie Marcoux Samaan

LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan said she’d take the call from LIV Golf

“There’s a lot of factors to consider before we do business with LIV Golf.”

Greg Norman has left little doubt that LIV Golf wants to be involved in the women’s game. Just last week he told the Palm Beach Post, “One hundred percent. Drop the mic on that,” regarding a women’s league.

At this week’s Amundi Evian Championship, LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan told Cathy Harris of the London Times that she would take Norman’s call.

“It’s my responsibility to evaluate every opportunity,” Marcoux Samaan told Harris. “I would engage in a conversation if it would achieve our aim of promoting women’s golf, but there needs to be input from players and sponsors. There’s a lot of factors to consider before we do business with LIV Golf.”

Already entrenched in the Ladies European Tour, Golf Saudi currently backs six events – including the Aramco Team Series – which feature prize money that’s three to four times a typical event on that tour, totaling $6 million.

At the Evian this week, fans will notice a number of LPGA players with Aramco series and Saudi logos on their hats and shirts, including three-time major champion Anna Nordqvist, Carlota Ciganda, Bronte Law and Alison Lee.

Saudi Arabia has been accused of wide-ranging human rights abuses, including politically motivated killings, torture, forced disappearances and inhumane treatment of prisoners. And members of the royal family and Saudi government were accused of involvement in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist.

The LPGA’s ability to withstand the departure of a wave of marquee players stands in stark contrast to the PGA Tour. Marcoux Samaan told Harris that “working together is always better than a fractured organization.”

At last month’s KPMG Women’s PGA, Maria Fassi told Golfweek that LIV Golf is “truly all we talk about on the course and in dining.” On the range at Congressional, Cristie Kerr said “the entire tour” might leave if faced with the opportunity to earn life-changing money.

“Everybody has different opinions in terms of what the guys are doing,” said Fassi, “but then when it’s switched to us, it would be very hard to say no to that.”

Fassi went on to say that, if possible, she’d like to see the tour work with the Saudi-backed league rather than against it to ensure the long-term health of the LPGA. And not just events with several dozen players like the current LIV format, but full-field events.

“I think all of us care about this tour a lot,” said Fassi. “I don’t think any of us truly want to leave.”

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=none image=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

LPGA names Matthew Chmura new Chief Marketing, Communications and Brand Officer

Matthew Chmura was hired by the LPGA after a 15-year stint with the Boston Bruins.

The LPGA has announced Matthew Chmura as its new Chief Marketing, Communications and Brand Officer. Chmura, who begins May 9, comes to the tour from Leader Bank, where he served as Chief Marketing Officer.

Prior to that, Chmura spent 15 years with the Boston Bruins, where he was responsible for overall marketing and communications strategies while overseeing omnichannel marketing, branding, content, media relations and community relations efforts as the team’s Vice President of Marketing and Communications. During his time with the Bruins, Chmura won five New England Emmy Awards for his role as executive producer and writer for “Behind the B” and “Bruins Academy,” as well as a Clio Award for Best Integrated Campaign.

Chmura replaces the recently retired Chief Brand and Communications Officer Roberta Bowman. He will oversee marketing, communications, public relations, brand creative and content development, including broadcast, digital and social content.

“We are thrilled to welcome Matt to the LPGA family,” said LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan. “This is a critical role as we focus aggressively on elevating and integrating the LPGA brands and the brands of our inspiring athletes and partners, developing new and dynamic content, growing our fanbase and elevating the fan experience broadly.

“Matt’s professional experiences and his impressive track record of success are perfectly aligned with this role. I am confident that he will build off our successes and lead our talented team of professionals into a future of continued growth and impact.”

Chmura’s resume also includes time in the communications departments of the New York Red Bulls, New England Revolution, Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots. He has also written for the Boston Herald.

“I am humbled and excited to join the talented and passionate team at the LPGA,” said Chmura. “I believe that this is the most exciting time in the LPGA’s history with fan engagement and interest at record highs coupled with the amazing group of world-class athletes who raise the bar with their play every week. I can’t wait to hit the ground running to collaborate with the team on new ways to help expand our footprint and reach new audiences around the world.”

[listicle id=778199525]

Will Tiger Woods play? Burning questions we can’t wait to see answered in 2022.

Here are Golfweek’s burning questions for 2022, posed by our staffers.

The 2021 season brought drama, it brought intrigue, but it also left many questions to be answered. Sitting atop the list: Will Tiger Woods tee it up in a PGA Tour event in 2022?

He left the golf world with speculation after seeing his performance at the PNC Championship playing alongside his son, Charlie. His swing looked good, the short game was polished, but can he get to a point where he’s able to walk four rounds? We’ll have to wait and see.

Along with the questions surrounding the 15-time major champion, the LPGA has its own riddles to solve.

The year 2022 should shape up to be an outstanding one for golf. Here are Golfweek‘s burning questions, posed by our incredible staff.

Nichols: As some LPGA players draw a moral line against playing in China and Saudi Arabia, the tour must wrestle with doing the same

New commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan must answer this looming and most pressing question.

Should the LPGA continue to stage events in China?

It’s a question all players and tournament officials should be wrestling with given the plight of Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai, who after posting an allegation of sexual assault against a top government official, disappeared from public view.

Last week Steve Simon, Women’s Tennis Association chairman and CEO, announced in a breathtakingly strong show of leadership the immediate suspension of all WTA tournaments in China, including Hong Kong, until Shuai is allowed to communicate freely and her allegation of sexual abuse is investigated in a full, fair and transparent manner.

The LPGA has only one event in China on its 2022 schedule, the Buick LPGA Shanghai, and it’s slated for October.

The tour, of course, has an obligation to the safety of its Chinese members. But it also has an obligation to consider the ramifications of doing business in certain parts of the world for the organization as a whole.

New commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan must answer this looming and most pressing question: What moral line is the tour unwilling to cross when it comes to partnerships?

When asked if the tour has considered standing in solidarity with the WTA by suspending business with China, an LPGA spokesperson told Golfweek that the tour is concerned about Shuai’s well-being and safety and has reached out to partners in the region. They will continue to actively monitor developments on the matter.

Last year, Amy Olson raised concerns with LPGA leadership about competing in China, saying that she didn’t feel it was safe there for players. Olson said too many have turned a blind eye to the mass imprisonment and persecution of the Uyghurs by the Chinese government in the Xinjiang province. What’s more, Olson continued, Chinese officials weren’t transparent with what was happening in their hospitals and within their borders during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As an organization that stands up for women’s rights and has fought day in and day out for those rights,’’ said Olson, “what China has done flies directly in the face of everything we stand for.”

Like Olson, Angela Stanford has made a personal commitment not to compete in China or Saudi Arabia due to human rights concerns.

Three years ago, a U.N. human rights panel reported that over 1 million Muslims were being held in secret internment camps. That number has since risen, with China expert Adrian Zenz telling NPR that forced abortions and mandatory birth control are routine in the labor camps.

In January, former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo determined that China’s tortuous actions against the Muslim Uyghurs and other minority groups constitute genocide and crimes against humanity.

On Monday, the Biden Administration said it will not send a U.S. delegation to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics as part of a diplomatic boycott in protest of China’s ongoing human rights abuses. U.S. athletes will still compete in the Games.

“I think we’re in a position now that we have an opportunity to say, we don’t have to play in China,” said Stanford, who implores those on the LPGA now to be mindful of the next generation.

“Do you want those girls going to Saudi Arabia?”

Saudi women watch golfers compete in the Saudi Ladies International on November 15, 2020. Photo by Amer Hilabi/AFP via Getty Images

Stacy Lewis, who like Olson serves as a Player Director on the LPGA Board, believes this is a conversation the tour needs to have. Lewis said she won’t compete in Saudi Arabia, noting that money used to fund the Ladies European Tour events comes directly from the government itself.

“It’s about women’s rights and silencing women,” she said, “and that’s not OK.”

In recent years, the laws in Saudi Arabia have changed to allow women to travel abroad and drive a car. However, the male guardian system that’s still in place requires a male relative’s permission to marry, divorce or leave a shelter or prison.

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan includes the use of sports diplomacy to enhance the country’s image, explained Adam Coogle, Human Rights Watch Deputy Director, Middle East and North Africa Division. Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that investigates and reports on abuses happening worldwide.

“Frankly, too many sports leagues are ready to take the money,” said Coogle, “even though they are wittingly or unwittingly, participating in what we view as whitewashing serious human rights concerns.”

The hope, of course, is that sports bodies develop rules within their organization. That is to say, surely there’s a line they should be unwillingly cross.

Days before F1 driver Lewis Hamilton won on Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Corniche Circuit, he told reporters that he’s not comfortable racing in Saudi Arabia.

“Do I feel comfortable here? I wouldn’t say I do,” Hamilton said.

“But this was not my choice. Our sport has chosen to be here and whether it’s fair or not, I think that, while we’re here, it’s still important to do some work on raising awareness.”

While the PGA Tour works to fend off a Saudi-backed takeover, consider how far the Saudi government is already entrenched in the LET with five events that feature purses three times higher than most of the events around Europe.

If an LET member didn’t want to compete for Saudi money, she might have to consider finding another job. It’s not difficult to imagine an LPGA player having to one day do the same.

Stanford said she has asked herself hypothetically — if she had to play an event in China to keep her card, would she do it?

“I wouldn’t,” she concluded.

Years ago, when Renee Powell was competing on the LPGA in Idaho, a reservation she’d made mysteriously couldn’t be found at the player hotel. Kathy Whitworth heard about the trouble Powell was having and came to the front desk declaring, “Either we all stay, or we all walk.”

Powell was the second Black player to ever compete on the LPGA.

“How much pride I have knowing those women stuck together,” said Stanford, “and said ‘No, we’re all the same.’ ”

Choices that are made today impact the future.

Olson wants young girls in China to live out their dreams on the LPGA. Ultimately, she wants the LPGA’s efforts to further women’s rights in other countries and provide opportunities.

The LPGA’s presence in China has inspired young girls to take up the game and envision a career traveling the world. The same could be said for any country the tour has visited.

And yet, there are times when it’s necessary to take a stand and sacrifice those opportunities in the short term in order to create long-term change.

Ultimately each player must ask herself, where is the moral line? And then pressure the tour to hold that line.

To that end, what the LPGA says now publicly can’t be a political stunt or knee-jerk reaction, insists Olson. She instead would like to see a robust conversation about the tour’s values continue behind closed doors.

“My hope is that this generates a lot of discussion,” said Olson, “for us to talk about who we are, what we stand for and what we bring to the world. And that we are able to stay consistent with that in the long term.”

There’s simply too much at stake.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=none image=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

What does the LPGA have to be thankful for? Here are five things as 2021 winds down.

It was a year that saw the LPGA go through some big changes.

The LPGA season ended last weekend in Naples, Fla., with the final round of the CME Group Tour Championship, a spirited day with some of the game’s best players fighting for a win and a variety of season-long awards in the women’s game.

It was a year that saw the LPGA go through some big changes, and also a year that saw the tour try to get back to what it was in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic started to take a huge toll on the women’s game with tournament cancellations.

Here are five of the biggest stories from the women’s tour in 2021:

‘This is our time’: New LPGA leader Mollie Marcoux Samaan looks to capitalize on the awakening around women’s sports

“The momentum is with us. And we just think there’s even more growth to come in so many different areas.”

On the same day the LPGA announced its 2022 schedule, Mollie Marcoux Samaan met face-to-face with members of the national media for the first time.

“As you know, I’m engaged in this 100-day plan,” she began at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, Florida.  “We’re at probably day 75 with our math, which is a little creative math.”

Marcoux Samaan takes over a tour that’s experiencing strong growth in the area of purses and global partnerships. On Friday, the LPGA announced a 2022 schedule that will feature a record-setting $85.7 million in official purses across 34 events. That number is expected to increase in the coming months. At this time last year, the tour announced a record-setting purse total of $76.4 million across 34 events.

But it’s not just about the money. Once again, the LPGA will be breaking ground at historic venues that have never before hosted a women’s major, with the AIG Women’s Open heading to Muirfield and the KPMG Women’s PGA being staged at Congressional Country Club.

“I think people have also had an awakening around women’s sports,” said Marcoux Samaan, the former Princeton AD who was named to the position last May, “and they said, ‘Wow, this is an undervalued asset out in the world. We need to accentuate that value.’ ”

[lawrence-related id=778182122,778181502,778181915,778181465]

CME Group CEO Terry Duffy has always been one to push for equity, announcing earlier this week that the winner of next year’s CME Group Tour Championship will receive a record-setting $2 million, and the player who finishes 60th will receive $40,000, up from $11,399 this week.

Marcoux Samaan noted the importance of providing data for potential sponsors to help them better understand the cost breakdown for players.

“If you make the cut, how much money do they make at the cut line? Can that pay for their expenses? That’s a really important thing for us to analyze,” said Marcoux Samaan, “and I think sponsors and partners are seeing that.”

The conversations with sponsors have changed significantly in the past decade according to Ricki Lasky, the tour’s chief tournament business officer.

“Our partners that have been there,” said Lasky, “the conversation has shifted from just titling an LPGA event, and once they come in, they understand the value. But now they’re talking about not only the entitlement, but everything under the umbrella of the LPGA.”

The most pressing issue fans seem to point to throughout the course of a season is the inability to sometimes watch live LPGA coverage. When asked what Marcoux Samaan would say to those frustrated fans, she first noted that she understands.

“All we can say is it’s a finite resource when we’re talking about broadcast windows,” she continued. “We just have to keep showing our value to our partners on why we should be prioritized in those windows.

“We believe in it …  we say we want to be on as much as we can be on as well. What we’d also like to do is here’s some other options for you. Here’s how you can watch it digitally. Thank you for your engagement.”

She mentioned more live streaming options, such as the LPGA’s first-ever  “Featured Hole” stream that debuted at least week’s Pelican Women’s Championship, as a point of focus.

“I do think it’s a chicken and egg,” she said. “You have to get more eyeballs in order to get those bigger numbers for our players.

“So I think we have to have a multi-tiered strategy around that and focus on growing our fans and growing our eyeballs, at the same time working with partners to give them other value in their partnership with us.”

The tour doesn’t have a marketing department per se. Perhaps that will begin to change as Marcoux Samaan adds more positions to the staff, something she’s determined to do.

“We think now is the time to build a bigger team,” she said. “Similar in quality and an increase in quantity.”

The goal, she explained, is to be able to get out the tour’s content more aggressively.

“The way we’ve been talking around our world is this is our time,” said Marcoux Samaan.

“The momentum is with us. And we just think there’s even more growth to come in so many different areas.”

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

LPGA announces 2022 schedule with record-setting purses of nearly $87 million across 34 events

It’s not just about the money. Once again, the LPGA will be breaking ground at historic venues in 2022.

The 2022 LPGA season will feature a record-setting $85.7 million in official purses across 34 events. That number is expected to increase as more announcements follow. At the time last year, the tour announced a record-setting purse total of $76.4 million across 34 events.

But it’s not just about the money. Once again, the LPGA will be breaking ground at historic venues that have never before hosted a women’s major, with the AIG Women’s Open heading to Muirfield and the KPMG Women’s PGA being staged at Congressional Country Club.

“The stage is set for 2022 to be one of the most exciting years in the history of the LPGA Tour, with the addition of new events, the largest total purse ever, over 500 hours of broadcast television and a collective commitment to being the leading women’s professional sports property in the world,” LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan said in a statement. “We have never had such a robust team of partners from around the globe who see both the commercial value in investing in the LPGA and the opportunity to utilize the partnerships to have a positive impact on their communities and on the world.”

Among the most notable purse increases: The Chevron Championship ($5 million, up $1.9 million from 2021) and the AIG Women’s Open ($6.8 million, up $1.3 million from 2021) and the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship purse will grow to $7 million, up $2 million from 2021. The $2 million first-place prize will be the largest in professional women’s golf history. The player who finishes 60th in the field of 60 will receive $40,000.

Other tournaments to announce elevated purses are the Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open ($2 million, up $500,000 from 2021), the LPGA Mediheal Championship ($1.8 million, up $300,000 from 2021), the Pelican Women’s Championship ($2 million, up $250,000 from 2021), the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational ($2.5 million, up $200,000 from 2021), the Meijer LPGA Classic ($2.5 million, up $200,000 from 2021) and the HSBC Women’s World Championship ($1.7 million, up $100,000 from 2021).

The 2022 season will open with three tournaments in Florida, beginning at Lake Nona with the renamed Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. The Gainbridge LPGA will once again return to Boca Rio followed by a yet-to-be-announced title sponsor and Florida venue. In 2021, there was a Drive On event at Golden Ocala.

With events in Australia once again canceled due to travel concerns with the global pandemic, the tour will return to its typical spring Asian swing before heading to California for what’s now known as the JTBC Classic at Aviara in Carlsbad.

The newly-named Chevron Championship, previously the ANA Inspiration, will then host the final major at Mission Hills Country Club, in what will be a celebration of more than 50 years at the Dinah Shore Tournament Course.

After an annual stop in Hawaii at a yet-to-be-announced venue, the tour heads to California for the JTBC LA Open at Wilshire and new JTBC Championship at Palos Verdes.

Then it’s back East for the Cognizant Founders Cup in New Jersey where the course is TBA. Players raved about the 2021 Founders venue, Mountain Ridge Country Club.

The 2022 U.S. Women’s Open will return to Pine Needles in Southern Pines, North Carolina, where Annika Sorenstam, Karrie Webb and Cristie Kerr previously hoisted the trophy.

The ShopRite LPGA will move back to a traditional summer date and the CP Women’s Open will return for the first time after a two-year hiatus.

The tour then moves to Ohio in September for back-to-back events including the Dana Open Presented by Marathon (previously the Marathon Classic) and the new Kroger Queen City Championship in Cincinnati.

Also of note, the LPGA Mediheal Championship will move to a fall date at a new venue, The Saticoy Club in Somis, California. From there the tour heads to Asia for four stops in China, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan before concluding once again with back-to-back events in Florida.

2022 LPGA schedule

Jan. 20-23

Hilton Grand Vacations TOC, Lake Nona G. and C.C., Orlando ($1.2M)

Jan. 27-30

Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio, Boca Rio G.C., Boca Raton, Florida ($2M)

Feb. 4-6 or Feb 11-13

TBA in Florida ($1.5M)

March 3-6

HSBC Women’s World Championship, Sentosa G.C., Singapore ($1.7M)

March 10-13

Honda LPGA Thailand, Siam C.C., Pattaya, Chonburi, Thailand ($1.6M)

March 24-27

JTBC Classic, Aviara G.C., Carlsbad, California ($1.5M)

March 31-April 3

The Chevron Championship, Mission Hills C.C., Rancho Mirage, California ($5M)

April 13-16

Lotte Championship Hawaii, location to be announced ($2M)

April 21-24

JTBC LA Open, Wilshire C.C., Los Angeles, California ($1.5M)

April 28-May 1

JTBC Championship at Palos Verdes, Palos Verdes Estates, California ($1.5M)

May 12-15

Cognizant Founders Cup, New Jersey TBA ($3M)

May 25-29

Bank of Hope LPGA Match Play, Hosted by Shadow Creek, Las Vegas ($1.5M)

June 2-5

U.S. Women’s Open, Pine Needles Lodge and G.C., Southern Pines, North Carolina ($5.5M)

June 10-12

ShopRite LPGA Classic, Seaview, A Dolce Hotel (Bay Course), Galloway, New Jersey ($1.75M)

June 16-19

Meijer LPGA Classic, Blythefield C.C., Grand Rapids, Michigan ($2.5M)

June 23-26

KPMG Women’s PGA, Congressional C.C., Bethesda, Maryland ($4.5M)

July 13-16

Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, Midland C.C., Midland, Michigan ($2.5M)

July 21-24

Amundi Evian, Evian Resort G.C., Evian-les-Bains, France ($4.5M)

July 28-31

Trust Golf Women’s Ladies Scottish Open, Dundonald Links, Ayrshire, Scotland ($2M)

Aug. 4-7

AIG Women’s Open Muirfield, East Lothian, Scotland ($6.8M)

Aug. 11-14

ISPS Handa World Invitational, Galgorme Castle G.C., and Massereene G.C., Antrim, Northern Ireland ($1.5M)

Aug. 28-25

CP Women’s Open, Ottawa Hunt and G.C., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada ($2.35M)

Sept. 1-4

Dana Open presented by Marathon, Highland Meadows G.C., Sylvania, Ohio ($1.75M)

Sept. 8-11

Kroger Queen City Championship, Kenwood Country Club, Cincinnati ($1.75M)

Sept. 15-18

Portland Classic, Oregon location TBA ($1.4M)

Sept. 23-25

Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, Pinnacle Country Club, Rogers, Arkansas ($2.3M)

Sept. 29-Oct. 2

Volunteers of America Classic, Old American G.C., The Colony, Texas ($1.5M)

Oct. 6-9

LPGA Mediheal Championship, The Saticoy Club, Somis, California ($1.8M)

Oct. 13-16

Buick LPGA, Shanghai Qizhong Garden G.C., Shanghai ($2.1M)

Oct. 20-23

BMW Ladies Championship, South Korea location TBA ($2M)

Oct. 27-30

Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA, Miramar G.C., New Taipei City, Chinese Taipei ($2.2M)

Nov. 3-6

Toto Japan Classic, Seta Golf Course, Shiga, Japan ($2M)

Nov. 10-13

Pelican Women’s Championship, Pelican G.C., Belleair, Florida

Nov. 17-20

CME Group Tour Championship, Tiburon G.C., Naples, Florida ($7M)

Bold denotes major championships

[listicle id=778058320]

Alexa Pano is one of three players competing in LPGA Q-School too young to advance

There are three players in the field who will not be eligible to compete in Q-Series.

Stage II of LPGA Qualifying begins this week in Venice, Florida. A field of 179 players will compete in a 72-hole no-cut event Oct. 21-24 on both the Panther and Bobcat Courses at Plantation Golf & Country Club.

The top 45 players and ties will advance to Q-Series, held Nov. 29-Dec. 12 on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama. There are three players in the field, however, who will not be eligible to compete in Alabama because they do not meet the minimum age requirement of 18 for the LPGA.

Florida’s Alexa Pano (17), Xiaowen Yin of China (16) and Chanoknan Angurasaranee of Thailand are the three players who will not be eligible to advance to Q-Series. Every player in the field at Stage II will receive some form of Symetra Tour status based on finish.

Players must be 17 years or older to compete on the Symetra Tour as of January 1, 2021.

Pano told Craig Dolch of the Palm Beach Post in August that new LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan had denied her petition to compete for an LPGA card before the age of 18. Pano made the cut at Stage I on the number.

There are four 18-year-olds in the field for Stage II as well as four 19-year-olds.

Yin, currently the seventh-ranked amateur in the world, has twice won this year on the China LPGA and hasn’t finished outside the top 10 in a ranked event since 2019. She has won eight times in the past two years.

Angurasaranee turned professional in April.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=none image=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

New LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan rolls up her sleeves with 100-day plan

The new Commissioner has a plan for the first days of her tenure with the LPGA, and Phase I consists of listening and learning.

Mollie Marcoux Samaan began work as the LPGA’s ninth commissioner on Monday. On the drive over from her rental home in Winter Park, Florida, to tour headquarters in Daytona Beach, she texted predecessor Mike Whan to say that she was on her way.

“You’re going to hate the commute,” Whan told her, “but you’re going to love the people and you’re going to love the job.”

IMG and her new tour family sent bouquets of flowers to brighten up the office. She had a box of family photos in the car. Decorating isn’t exactly a priority for Marcoux Samaan, who has created a 100-day plan that would essentially end as the tour wraps up its 2021 season in Naples, Florida. Phase I consists of listening and learning.

Marcoux Samaan, who was named commissioner in late May, met with members of the press on Thursday, and while she didn’t lay out specific details of future plans, she did share a passion of growing the consumer base from a marketing perspective.

“We have amazing stories to tell,” she said, “and I feel like more of the world should know these stories and should know our amazing athletes.”

Over the past two months, Marcoux Samaan has transitioned out of her role as Princeton athletic director, found a new place to live with her husband, three kids – Maddie (18), Catie (15) and Drew (12) – and dog near the Winter Park Golf Course. She plans to make the Solheim Cup the first official event she attends as commissioner. From there, Marcoux Samaan said she’ll be at all remaining events on the 2021 LPGA schedule.

Golfweek met with Marcoux Samaan on Thursday in her new corner office digs. Here are excerpts from that conversation: 

Tell me about your family.

My husband is Andrew. He’s a lawyer and he’s done a lot of entrepreneurial things, but he is joining forces with a client that he’s had for years and they are starting a venture capital fund in September.

I have an 18-year-old daughter who graduated from high school, but she’s taking a PG (post graduate) year back at the same school. She went to The Lawrenceville School in New Jersey, that’s a boarding school but she was a day student. She’s an ice hockey player and really committed student. She’s committed to Williams College for ice hockey, but she’s taking a year because of COVID …  going back and she’s going to be a boarder. She’s been a little too serious. I’m like go have some fun. Not too much fun, but go have some fun.

And then I have a junior in high school, a girl, who started school today and you can imagine how excited she is to be going to a new school her junior year, but she’s doing great and she’s going to Lake Highland Prep. She started this morning. Her uniform is too big for her, and her brother was late and all of that, but she’ll be fine. She plays soccer and lacrosse and she’s a pretty committed student as well and a great kid. She’s been giving it to me a little bit about the move, but she’s been largely positive.

Then I have a 12-year-old son who is a whole different enterprise. During this whole transition part of it was like two jobs, and the house and schools and the move but what people didn’t know was that I was constantly on him to finish the school year. He had kind of decided that he was done, but school hadn’t decided he was done. Someone asked and I said my hardest job right now is getting him to finish his homework.

But he did it all, and got it done. He’s really an easy kid, upbeat, a great athlete. He’s fine. As long as they have lacrosse, as long as they have golf, soccer, hockey.

So he’ll be on the golf team?

He plays golf, it’s not his main sport. We play together as a family, but he’s never really competed. But he decided he wanted to try out for the golf team and in typical working mother fashion, I did not get all the forms in in time so he is now trying out next week.

I talked to Mike a while back and he indicated that you guys had talked a lot. How often have you talked via phone or text?

We had two long meetings, spent a whole morning with him up at the USGA office and he came down and spent a couple hours. Three or four phone calls and a decent number of texts. Really more he’s just like whatever you need.

The senior executive leadership team, I really have been on that call every week since the announcement. In the beginning, just really listening and then now being able to run that meeting. That has given the most context.

I know you’ve been to a couple tournaments so far, and I’m sure you’ve had other conversations with check writers. I’m wondering what has been the most impactful or informative conversation you’ve had with a check writer about how all of this goes?

I don’t want to necessarily single anyone out … for example, listening to KPMG CEO Paul Knopp, I got to have lunch with him and his senior team and hearing kind of their passion for what we do but then he kind of impromptu had to hand the trophy to Nelly Korda and

his words were very heartfelt … just seeing how much it meant to him. Same thing with Jim Fitterling at Dow. He was there every day. That’s the other thing, these CEOs being at the events all week and engaging in all parts of it. Again not to single anyone out, I had a great conversation with Terry Duffy at CME and the great passion that he shows.

Mostly just to say God, these top level CEOs really love the LPGA, and what it says and what it does and how they use it.

When Stacy Lewis was the No. 1 player in the world, the tour developed a lot of strong partnerships out of that time … what do you think Nelly’s impact could be on the tour and how do you think you can capitalize on this moment in time?

Listen, she’s a great ambassador. One of the things you notice when you see her is, oh my God this is an athlete. I saw a picture of when I was handing her caddie the (No. 1) bib, and she’s like a foot taller than I am and I’m not necessarily short. She just has a tremendous presence and a tremendous amount of athleticism and she’s just a great representative. I do think our stars are really important, our whole membership base is really important.

You talked in a previous conversation about the importance of wanting to narrow the financial gap between the men and the women. Have you thought more about how you might do that?

It’s not an easy fix. If it were an easy fix someone would’ve done it a long time ago. Two things, one knowing that’s sort of a goal and putting that front and center and how we get there. And then just looking at what flows to that. What do we need to do across the whole ecosystem to get to that point? Looking at all of our tournaments, growing partnerships, growing relationships and looking at our full tournament complement. I do believe that it’s like a tipping point. The more we can expose the world to our athletes, the more interest there is, the more the rising tide lifts all boats. I think the focus is to get exposure and to build an audience that is even larger than the audience we have. It’s just getting to the tipping point so the world sees how amazing our athletes are.

When you took a sip of that Diet Coke it reminded me of the heavily caffeinated Mike Whan. Do you come close to him in the amount of Diet Cokes a day?

I don’t know how much he drank, but I do have a bit of an issue with it. When Mike was coming to Princeton we met in the, we built this performance center at the golf course at Princeton with hitting bays and a simulator area. We have a refrigerator and I was like I’ve got to stock it, what does he eat? She’s like all you need is Coke Zero and some nuts.

You fit right in …

He could’ve just left his Coke Zero.

I know you were at the U.S. Senior Women’s Open. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve gotten from one of the veteran players or a meaningful conversation that you’ve had?

 I’ve been friends with Jane Geddes for a number of years. Gigi, her wife, worked with me at Chelsea Piers. We had kids in daycare together. Their twins were best buds with my son. Jane has given me a lot of great insight — but I’ve also met with Dottie Pepper in person. She and I used to play golf together as kids. We met in New York and she drove down and gave me great context.

I also had a great conversation with Nancy Lopez and met with Annika … I think just hearing Nancy Lopez’s continued passion for the LPGA … They grew up together, they were on the tour together … it’s kind of like a college. This loyalty and enthusiasm. It wasn’t a job, it was a family.

Just continuing that. I think hearing from all the players about how important that is, that as we grow, that we maintain that same gratitude and that same sort of commitment to act like a founder. I love that phrase and want to keep that.

Have you figured out this big board yet (Whan’s old dry erase board with the 2021 and 2022 schedules)?

This is interesting. This has to be kind of the crux … I think this is it. I think that’s the great advice Mike gave me. I asked him the question you just asked me … Where did you spend a lot of your time?

Our job is to provide these opportunities for our women to make a living through golf and to live their dreams through golf. This is not my writing. I’ve got it on my desk. But our team is really good, and our partners are good, but this definitely fuels the engine.

[listicle id=778058320]

New LPGA commissioner faces challenges with a tour that’s getting stronger

The resume of Mollie Marcoux Samaan seems to check all of the boxes for what the LPGA was looking for in its new commissioner.

The resume of Mollie Marcoux Samaan seems to check all of the boxes for what the LPGA was looking for in its new commissioner.

As the athletic director at Princeton, Marcoux Samaan certainly has the administrative background that a commissioner in a major sport needs. She played hockey and soccer collegiately, so she likely understands the challenges of women in sports. As a solid amateur golfer herself, she has a grasp of the game and what it takes to play well.

Perhaps the only surprise is that Marcoux Samaan wasn’t a bigger name in the golf world, but some people with higher golf profiles pulled themselves out of contention for the job in the last month.

Marcoux Samaan’s job will not be an easy one, and everyone has known that since Mike Whan announced he was leaving the LPGA. Whan did wonders for the women’s tour, and in a sense he leaves Marcoux Samaan a tour that is in much better shape than when he took over just more than 10 years ago.

Marcoux Samaan’s goal should not be to merely follow Whan and his path, but to blaze her own trail as the ninth LPGA commissioner and just the second woman to hold the job. The LPGA certainly faces issues, issues that even Whan couldn’t overcome despite his ability to build bridges and convince people that the LPGA was more relevant than most people believe.

What should be the main items Marcoux Samaan will focus on as she steps into the job? Here are a few strong possibilities:

Mollie Marcoux Samaan
Mollie Marcoux Samaan (Princeton Athletics)

Continuing the LPGA’s leadership efforts

“Mollie understands the power of golf to change the lives of girls and women,” the LPGA said in the statement announcing Marcoux Samaan’s hiring. “As a values-centered leader, she’s known for her skills in collaboration, managing through complexity and building a winning team culture.”

The LPGA has embraced the battle to encourage women and girls to take up the game and believes that gender should not be an obstacle in sports or life. Keeping that initiative alive will be a key to the growth of the tour. This is a story that has worked well for the LPGA.

The future of the ANA Inspiration

The LPGA’s first major of the year faces multiple issues beyond the fact it has been played twice without fans because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event is in the final year of All Nippon Airways’ current sponsorship deal, and securing that sponsorship or perhaps a new sponsor should ANA leave the event has to be priority No. 1.

But there is also the scheduling issue of the major championship being played the same week as the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, an event that seems to have captured the imagination of golf fans simply because it is played at the home of the Masters.

Whan said at this year’s ANA Inspiration that the tournament would probably move off the first week of April date eventually. Marcoux Samaan will have to deal with both issues for the Rancho Mirage tournament.

Improved television

If you want to see LPGA players get angry on social media, just put an LPGA broadcast on tape.

The LPGA will always get the short end of the stick when it comes to television, with network executives convinced the PGA Tour will always draw better ratings and with tours like the European Tour and PGA Tour Champions always fighting for time on Golf Channel. LPGA events are virtually non-existent on network television, except for championships controlled by the PGA of America or the USGA.

The LPGA will never have the television coverage that the PGA Tour does and shouldn’t really even try. But improving the television presence of the tour would be one way to get the LPGA’s message across to fans, and it ought to be a priority for the incoming commissioner.

Larry Bohannan is the golf writer for The Desert Sun, part of the USA Today Network. He can be reached at (760) 778-4633 or larry.bohannan@desertsun.com. Follow him on Facebook or on Twitter at @Larry_Bohannan.